Wilko: Love and Death and Rock ’n’ Roll toured nationally and featured a different special guest at each performance, ranging from rock legends and comedians to news broadcasters. Each guest brought their own musical approach, level of experience, and song choices, meaning no two performances were ever quite the same.

As Deputy Stage Manager, I adapted cueing and pacing nightly to support these guest appearances while maintaining the established look and feel of the show. Drawing on strong musical awareness, I responded in the moment to changes in timing, instrumentation, and delivery, helping performers feel confident and ensuring the show remained tight and coherent. This consistency contributed to strong audience responses throughout the tour, including frequent standing ovations.

Mid-tour, I stepped up to cover the Stage Manager role and independently led a technical rehearsal when the PM/SM was unexpectedly absent due to illness. Taking clear responsibility from the production desk, I worked closely with the creative team to adapt quickly to the situation. Through calm leadership and clear communication, we not only stayed on schedule but exceeded our technical targets, delivering the show ahead of plan.

I really enjoyed the variety and momentum of touring with this production. The combination of musical adaptability, guest collaboration, and shared responsibility across the team made it a rewarding and energising project to be part of.